1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of hand carried weapons, and in particular to light armor piercing rifles utilizing rocket propelled projectiles. The invention specifically relates to the operation of a bolt in such a gun with a coolant system, which bolt includes a reciprocating motion acting in cooperation with a drum magazine, a cocking, loading, and an unloading mechanism.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Rifles using liquid propellents and fluidic cooling are well known. One example is shown by Elmore et al., "Liquid Propellent Modular Gun Incorporating Dual Cam Operation and Internal Water Cooling," U.S. Pat. No. 4,062,266 (1977). Elmore shows a liquid propellent gun in which liquid propellent is burned in the combustion chamber to fire a projectile. The gun is externally driven by a motor and uses an internal water cooling system which injects a small quantity of water into the combustion chamber for cooling by internal vaporization. Elmore, however, requires a source of cooling fluid which is expendable since there is no recirculation of the cooling fluid and also a large source of electrical power to drive the motor driven gun mechanism.
An even earlier version of the liquid propellent gun is shown in Elmore et al., "Liquid Propellent Weapon," U.S. Pat. No. 3,803,975 (1974). However, Elmore '975 used a single propellent type which tends to be inherently unstable and dangerous.
An additional example of a rocket fired gun or saboted rifle as shown by Fansler et al., "Silencer for Saboted Projectiles," U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,573 (1990) and by Kruzell, "Closed Breech Rocket Gun," U.S. Pat. No. 3,227,045 (1966). However, neither one of these prior examples contemplate the use of multiple, injected propellents which are combined in a combustion chamber.
While most gun systems, which have cooling systems, contemplate an open system in which the cooling fluid is not recirculated or retained, some prior art examples of closed circuit cooling systems are known. Refrigerated systems have been used as early as 1906, such as shown in Otto, British specification 13,321 (1906). The use of a compressor in a refrigerated cooling system is operated by expansion gases created in the gun are shown by German Patent 487,229 (1929). Use of heat exchanging coils in connection with gun barrel cooling is also exhibited by German Patent 321,149 (1920).
Notwithstanding the prior efforts which have been expended both on liquid propellent guns and on guns utilizing refrigeration cooling, no small, portable liquid propellent rifle has yet been designed which can provide rapid, automatic firing of liquid propellent fired rocket projectiles in a package that can be carried by a single man and be handled by hand.